Ag Program

Are You a Farmer Seeking New Markets?

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Basket to Pallets

  • Tuesday, January 31, 2017, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Are You a Farmer Seeking New Markets? 

Start Selling to Food Hubs, Groceries, Restaurants and Cooperatives

Are you looking to diversify sales beyond the farmers market, CSA, and farm stand? Food hubs, grocery stores, restaurants, and cooperatives are looking for your products to meet growing consumer demand for local and sustainably-grown food.  Yet, doing successful business with wholesale buyers requires planning and preparation.  Ensure your success by joining us for "Baskets to Pallets", a comprehensive introduction to selling wholesale.  This two-day course will take place on Tuesday, January 31, and Tuesday, February 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Templeton Hall in historic Cooperstown, NY.  The "Baskets to Pallets" course is designed for farmers of all enterprises and will cover building relationships with buyers, customer management and record keeping, pricing, grading and packaging, uniformity and consistency, and food safety, among many other topics! This fun course includes plenty of hands-on activities and opportunities for peer learning and small group discussion. The course includes one break-out session for livestock and produce farmers.

The cost is $35 which enables two people per farm to attend. The fee also includes breakfast refreshments and a delicious locally sourced lunch each day.Lodging has been reserved at the Inn at Cooperstown (one block from Templeton Hall) at a discounted rate of $105 plus tax per room. To take advantage of this special rate, reserve your room by December 23rd.

To register, click here.

(Farmers that complete the two-day course will be invited to meet wholesale buyers at a Farmer-Buyer Mixer at Brown’s Brewery in Troy, NY on March 6, 2017 from 3 to 6 p.m. The Mixer will provide a structured space for farmers to begin making new business connections and sales opportunities. The Mixer is free and complementary appetizers will be provided.)

Space is limited to 40 participants and early registration is encouraged. For a more detailed description of course topics, visit http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/wholesale/. The ‘Baskets to Pallets’ course is co-hosted by the Cornell Small Farms Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties, and the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE), and is funded via Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).

For more information, please contact:

Violet Stone, Cornell Small Farms Program, vws7@cornell.edu or (607) 255-9227

David Cox, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties, dgc23@cornell.edu or (518) 234-4303, ext. 119

Mariane Kiraly, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, mk129@cornell.edu or (607) 865-6531

Sonia Janiszewski, The Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship (CADE), sonia@cadefarms.org or (607) 433-2545

Fee

$35

Location

Templeton Hall
63 Pioneer St.
Cooperstown, NY 13326

Last updated January 27, 2017